The Afghan air force conducted multiple strikes on Taliban positions Saturday that killed more than 30 insurgent fighters, officials said, as President Ashraf Ghani once again called for a ceasefire, an Agence France-Presse report stated.

"This morning, Taliban fighters attacked (Afghan army) positions in … Khan Abad district in Kunduz province," the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Twitter.

The military "intercepted the attack in accordance with 'active defense' procedures," the statement added, noting that more than 30 Taliban fighters including two commanders were killed.

In a statement, the Taliban denied its fighters were hit and said 23 civilians had been killed.

The defence ministry stated of being aware of the claim and would investigate the matter further. Local hospital director Mohammad Naeem Mangal told AFP that three dead and three wounded civilians had been brought to the facility.

The attack came shortly before Ghani once again called for a humanitarian ceasefire "to protect our people, prevent violence and terrorist incidents, and to achieve a dignified and lasting peace," the AFP report added.